A 30mm cannon, 103km/h top speed and the ability to conquer the roughest of terrain: Army rolls out its new $5.2billion armoured scout vehicles
- Army took delivery of German-made Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles
- The 211 machines will cost $52 to buy and build with most made in Australia
- Replaces old fleet and will be deployed for peacekeeping around the world
The army has rolled out the first of its next generation of fast scout vehicles to spot enemy forces before they get anywhere near our soldiers.
Two Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles were handed over on Tuesday with another 209 to come over the next six years at a cost of $5.2billion.
Armed with a 30mm cannon and able to zip across rough terrain at up to 103km/h, the Boxers will be deployed in peacekeeping missions overseas.
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Two Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles were handed over on Tuesday with another 209 to come over the next six years at a cost of $5.2 billion
The new gear is part of a $200 billion effort to upgrade Australia's defence tech for modern warfare with new planes, submarines, and tanks or order.
Boxers can be refitted with the latest equipment including energy weapons and attack drones as they become available over the next 30 years.
They will take over from the army's old ASLV fleet and their advantages were talked up by Defence Minister Linda Reynolds at the handover in Brisbane.
'The main gun is larger and more lethal than its predecessor. The significantly improved electro-optical systems will mean enemies can be detected at longer ranges, whatever time of day and whatever the weather,' she said.
Armed with a 30mm cannon and able to zip across rough terrain at up to 103km/h, the Boxers will be deployed in peacekeeping missions overseas
'The radios, and the communications, are far more secure, and for the first time, they are integrated into the wider Army and Defence networks.
'They can handle larger quantities of data, and far more effectively.'
Ms Reynolds said they would be used in peacekeeping, regional stability, and high-threat operations in ongoing conflicts.
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The war in Afghanistan taught military leaders that the new vehicles needed to be tougher to survive hits from better shoulder-launched missiles and roadside bombs than were thought possible when the ASLAV was launched.
Boxers have eight wheels and plating thick enough to take a hit from a 14.5mm armour-piercing round.
Inside of the brand-new machines that have seating for troops and a hatch to the turret
They will take over from the army's old ASLV fleet and their advantages were talked up by Defence Minister Linda Reynolds at the handover in Brisbane
The 30mm cannon is mounted on a two-man turret that rotates 360 degrees, along with a 7.62mm machine gun.
A computerised fire-control system means targets can be hit while the Boxer is moving quickly, and has night-vision thermal targeting.
The first 25 Boxers will be built in Germany by Rheinmetall with the rest built in Queensland by its Australian subsidiary.
The project will create 1,450 jobs around Australia at a total cost of $15.7 billion to buy and maintain the Boxers for the next 30 years.
